J. D. Cantrell started climbing in 2005 after moving to Norfolk, VA to attend Old Dominion University. In late 2005, J.D. began working at the nearby Virginia Beach Rock Gym and was immediately drawn to the routesetting aspect of the sport. In 2009, he decided to pursue routesetting full time and became the head routesetter at his local gym, VBRG, and has since set for dozens of local competions and events in the region. In August 2012, he accepted a position as full time routesetter at Sportrock Climbing Centers in Alexandria, Virginia. He is passionate about the progression of the sport through the growth of the indoor climbing industry and desires to promote a high standard for routesetting practices. As the sport continues to explode in popularity, both in commercial and competition settings, he believes that routesetting remains one of the key elements to driving the growth of the industry while retaining the core climbing community. Began working on the Evolv grassroots team in 2008 with Kurt Smith, first joined the national team in 2012.